SP417 Half Unit
Sexuality, Everyday Lives and Social Policy in Developing Countries
This information is for the 2025/26 session.
Course Convenor
Dr Hakan Seckinelgin
Availability
This course is available on the MSc in Gender (Sexuality), MSc in International Social and Public Policy, MSc in International Social and Public Policy (Development), MSc in International Social and Public Policy (Education), MSc in International Social and Public Policy (LSE and Fudan), MSc in International Social and Public Policy (Migration), MSc in International Social and Public Policy (Non-Governmental Organisations) and MSc in International Social and Public Policy (Research). This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process.
All Social Policy Courses are ‘Controlled Access’.
Other than for students in the first category below, when applying for a course all students are required to provide a written statement explaining why they wish to take that course.
Statements are considered by the Course Convenor and, where merited by the statement, places are offered in the following priority order:
1. Students for whom the course is a ‘core course’ on their Programme Regulations (these students should already be allocated to the course in LSE for you – i.e. no written statement is required).
2. Students for whom the course appears as an ‘optional core course’ on their Programme Regulations (where students have to choose between a small number of core options).
3. Students for whom the course appears as an optional course on their Programme Regulations.
4. Other Social Policy students.
5. LSE students from Departments other than Social Policy.
Please note: The number of students that can be accommodated on most courses is limited. If a course is over-subscribed, places will be allocated at the Convenor’s discretion, based on student statements. Therefore, you are advised to have an alternative course in mind in case you are unable to secure your first-choice course selection.
If offered a place on a Social Policy course, please accept the place as early as possible. NB: Offers will ‘time-out’ after 48 hours and the place will be offered to another student. If you wish to reject an offer, please do so as early as possible so that the place can be offered to one of your fellow students.
Close of Course Selection is on the 10 October 2025 (dependant on availability of course places).
Please Note: No places will be offered on Social Policy courses UNTIL 1pm on 29th September 2025.
For queries contact: socialpolicy.msc@lse.ac.uk
All Social Policy Courses are ‘Controlled Access’. Please see the link below for further details on the allocation process.
https://info.lse.ac.uk/current-students/services/course-choice/controlled-access-courses
Course content
This course aims to analyse and understand the way social policies deploy sexuality categories in regulating everyday life in developing countries, both in its public and private manifestations. It aims to consider social policy and particular interventions in their historical contexts, as a way of unpacking the construction of sexuality in the intersection of colonialism, gender, race, class and international policy frameworks in developing countries. The course also aims to interrogate the relationship between particular social policy prescriptions developed in most industrialized welfare societies and the way some of these are transferred to developing countries. The major concern of the analysis is to bring out the perceptions of sexuality that underwrite these policies and how these interact with existing perceptions of sexualities and their performances (identities, desires and bodily practices) in multiple developing country contexts. These policy areas include, among others, discussions of rights, entitlements, citizenship, same-sex marriage, sexually transmitted disease, HIV/AIDS, family policies, migration/border controls, criminality and employment-related policies.
Teaching
15 hours of seminars and 15 hours of lectures in the Winter Term.
This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Winter Term.
All teaching will be in accordance with the LSE Academic Code which specifies a minimum of two hours taught contact time per week when the course is running in the Autumn Term (AT) and/or Winter Term (WT). Social Policy courses are predominantly taught through a combination of in-person lectures and In person classes/seminars. Further information will be provided by the Course Convenor in the first lecture of the course.
Formative assessment
Essay in Winter Term Week 7
Students will be expected to submit a formative essay
Indicative reading
- Aggleton, P., Boyce, P. and Moore, H. (2012) Understanding Global Sexualities: New Frontiers. London: Routledge;
- Butler, J. (1990) Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New York: Routledge;
- Canaday, M. (2009) The Straight State: Sexuality and Citizenship. Princeton university Press;
- Cornwall, A., Corrêa, S. and Jolly, S. (2008) Development with a Body: Sexuality, Human Rights and Development. London: Zed Book;
- Correa, S., Petchesky, R. and Parker, R. (2008) Sexuality, Health and Human Rights. London: Routledge;
- De La Dehesa, R. (2012) Queering the Public Sphere in Mexico and Brazil: Sexual Rights Movements in Emerging Democracies. Duke University Press;
- Reid, G. and Walker, L. (2005) Men Behaving Differently: South African Men since 1994. Doubleday books;
- Richey, L. A. (2008) Population Politics and Development: From the policies to the Clinics. London: Palgrave;
- Stoler, A. L. (2002) Carnal Knowledge and Imperial Power: Race and the Intimate in Colonial Rule. University of California Press;
- Tamale, S. (2011) African Sexualities: A Reader. Pambazuka Press.
Assessment
Essay (100%) in Spring Term Week 3
Key facts
Department: Social Policy
Course Study Period: Winter Term
Unit value: Half unit
FHEQ Level: Level 7
CEFR Level: Null
Total students 2024/25: 27
Average class size 2024/25: 14
Controlled access 2024/25: YesCourse selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.
Personal development skills
- Self-management
- Team working
- Problem solving
- Application of information skills
- Communication
- Specialist skills